| CS-119 Hybrid Class Orientation Overview This semester, your CS-119 class will be hybrid; meaning the class will be a mixture of classroom and online time. If you've never taken an online class before, this class gives you the benefit of being able to try out an online classroom environment yet still have the benefit of being able to meet with your instructor in person for lecture, answers to questions and help with assignments each week. You also have the benefit of having class materials, quizzes, exams, assignments and class discussions all being online. Even if you have to miss class due to illness, family emergency, or work travel, you can still keep up with what's going on in the class. Also, by having the quizzes and exams online, our classroom time is focused 100% on actual instruction. This orientation will help you get up to speed on the layout of the class web pages as well as things you will need to know and do in order to succeed in this class. Please take your time and read this orientation page along with the Syllabus, Course Outline and Lab Standards pages. Can I Survive as a Hybrid Class Student? A hybrid class gives you the best of both worlds. Stuck on an assignment? Have questions? Need the chapter material explained in more depth? Come to class! Stuck at work late? Have to travel for work? Sick? Family crisis? Need until the very last minute to get that assignment done? You can keep up with the class online! The online components of this class offer the benefit of being able, to some extent, attend class at your convenience rather than being required to come to class at a set time. We meet only one night a week rather than two or even three. Obviously, this saves time, gas and it's a real advantage if you often have to work late, you find yourself having to travel periodically for work, or you frequently need to take care of family members. In spite of the flexibility, the online portion of this class requires substantially more time, effort and self-discipline than the same material in a conventional classroom format. To see if this is a good fit for your learning needs, answer the following questions either yes or no:
If you answered yes to to most or all of these questions, this class will probably work out well for you. On the other hand, if you found yourself with a number of no answers, an entirely face-to-face classroom format might be a better fit for your learning needs. Other Orientation Items For starters, please make sure you have paid class fees and that you are officially enrolled in the course by or before the last day to add a semester length course. See the Course Outline for the specific date though sooner would be better so we can get a Blackboard account set up for you. Also, make sure you are enrolled in both the CS-119 and the CS-119L lab section. College policy requires me to drop students who are not enrolled in both sections! The following activities and questions are to make sure you that you can locate/use essential class resources. Review the Course Syllabus, Outline, and Lab Standards pages and make sure you can answer the following questions: What textbook(s) do I need for this course? What other class materials do I need? What is the instructor's email address? What software do I need, where do I get it and how do I install it? How do I get help if I get really stuck on an assignment? Where do I find assignment instructions and due dates? What browser settings are needed so I can properly access all the class pages?
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